DJI hidden? These drone and action cam monitors are from Amazon US – and I’m not surprised
- The various Xtra and SkyRover products are all similar to the DJI equivalent
- DJI will not confirm or deny communications with these companies
- DJI is currently placed on the FCC’s ”Consolidated List”, and cannot launch new drones in the US.
So, what’s going on with all the DJI virtual cameras that are showing up in US stores? From action cameras to drones, near rip-offs of one of DJI’s most popular products seem to be popping up everywhere – and the company itself doesn’t seem too bothered by the situation.
You don’t have to look hard to find these clones, and it doesn’t take a master detective to spot the similarities. The Xtra Muse Vlogging camera, for example, appears to be the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 in all but name, with a teardown by The Verge showing not only that the two products share the same hardware but the same software – although all references to “DJI” have been removed; the teardown even found that some Osmo Pocket 3 accessories work well with the Muse. Similarly, the Xtra Edge appears to be more of a reskinned DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, while the Osmo Nano that looks like the Xtra Atto has just appeared.
The maker of these clones, Xtra Technology, came into existence recently and describes itself as “the first dynamic and independent company registered in Delaware (DE), United States. We have been established with a team of industry experts from leading companies, with deep expertise in imaging technology and consumer electronics.”
On the drone front, SkyRover, another start-up company (this time based in Hong Kong, a short drive from DJI’s HQ in Shenzhen, China) that it says was “founded by a small team of engineers with backgrounds at DJI”, has been selling consumer drones called the X1 and S1 that are very similar to DJI’s Mini 4K and DJI’s Mini 4K respectively. Although there are some minor differences, the essential hardware and software technology, and the operation of the aircraft and camera, appear to be almost identical.
The solution to DJI’s US woes?
Although DJI is a very strong player in the drone and stabilizer markets, and a strong competitor in action cameras, the Chinese company currently finds itself in a tricky position when it comes to the US market. Not only does it have a complex and expensive tax regime to navigate, but it has also come under direct scrutiny from successive US administrations over its purported links to the Chinese military and government.
This investigation culminated in DJI (and all foreign drone companies) being placed on the US Federal Communications Commission’s “Consolidated List”, effectively banning all future DJI products from the US market.
An easy conclusion to reach when looking at the Xtra and SkyRover products, and considering DJI’s current position regarding the US market, is that the company is effectively behind these clones themselves, and has created shell companies in an attempt to cross borders, reduce import costs and keep its products sold in the States.
If so, DJI certainly doesn’t say. We reached out to the company’s PR team for comment, but (unsurprisingly) didn’t get anything definitive, except for the following statement from a spokesperson:
“While we cannot comment on non-DJI products, DJI will continue to focus on empowering creators, businesses, and public safety organizations around the world with safe, innovative, and accessible technology. The company remains committed to the US market and will continue to represent our US-based operators to government agencies, lawmakers and regulators.”
I think the most interesting thing about this statement is what it is not: a denial. It would be easy for a DJI spokesperson to say that the company has no ties to Xtra or SkyRover, but they don’t.
What remains to be seen is whether these apparent shell companies can succeed in bringing DJI-style products to the US, avoiding the FCC’s de facto ban and America’s worst administrative costs. On the drone front, in particular, no US-based company can currently compete with DJI (and, by extension, SkyRover) in performance and price, so consumers will be clamoring for a way to get their hands on affordable, high-end camera drones. Maybe this will be the way they do it.
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